Hollywood is reeling over the tragic deaths of legendary actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele at their Los Angeles home on December 14, 2025, with their son Nick in custody, according to CBS News. The director of classic movies like “When Harry Met Sally” and “Stand By Me” inspired countless creatives over the years, including many Hallmark Channel stars.
Tyler Hynes and Luke Macfarlane had the chance to talk with Reiner during a break at San Diego Comic Con in late July — an exchange that Hynes later said he’ll “remember for the rest of my life.”
Tyler Hynes Called Conversation With Rob Reiner the ‘Highlight’ of His 1st Comic Con
Though Hallmark Channel viewers know Hynes as the star of hit rom-coms like the “Three Wise Men” trilogy and his latest, “Christmas Above the Clouds” with Erin Krakow, the actor is also passionate about filmmaking, from developing and producing Hallmark rom-coms to passion projects like his 2023 short film “Chimera.”
So when he and Macfarlane ran into Reiner at Comic Con in July, it was an invaluable chance to talk about their craft. Weeks later, while attending the Christmas in a Small Town fanfest in Dahlonega,, Georgia, Hynes told Dani of the Creating Magic podcast that it was best part of his first time at Comic Con.
“The highlight for me, which I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life — well, I know I will — is I sat down on a couch, and there was a lovely gentleman next to me wearing a ‘Spinal Tap’ t-shirt and a ‘Spinal Tap’ hat,” Hynes said, referring to Reiner’s 1984 cult classic and its 2025 sequel.
“Do you guys know ‘Spinal Tap?'” Hynes asked the audience. “‘Turn up the volume to 11?’ Remember that line? Anyways, that gentleman, I started talking to him, he was lovely. His name is Rob Reiner, who is a famous director and producer, and he’s also an actor. He made movies like ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘Sleepless in Seattle.'”
“And I started talking to him,” Hynes contiued, “and I said to him, ‘You know, you…really shaped and were part of the creation of the genre I spend so much time in.’ And he started asking me a lot about Hallmark movies and how they work. And he didn’t know a ton about it, but he knew a bit, and it was a really lovely conversation. That’s a memory I’ll never forget.”
The morning after Reiner’s death, Hynes shared the brief video of their exchange in his Instagram Stories and added a broken hearted emoji over it.
Some of Tyler Hynes’ Fellow Hallmark Stars Have Expressed Their Grief Over Rob Reiner’s Passing, Too
Many of Hynes’ Hallmark Channel colleagues are grieving the Reiners’ deaths, too. Holly Robinson Peete shared a social media tribute to them and opera singer Jubilant Sykes.
The “Hats Off to Love” star wrote, “Few tragedies are harder to comprehend than one where love, lineage, and loss collide — leaving a family broken in ways words cannot hold…😢😢😢😢 Saying prayers for all of the loved ones and family members who have to process a devastation that rewrites a family forever. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽”
Arielle Kebbel, who’s appeared in multiple Hallmark movies including 2023’s “Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance,” shared a news story about the tragedy in her Instagram Stories and how upset she was about it.
“I can’t wrap my heart around this yet,” she wrote. “Rest in love Rob & Michele. I happen to be in press junket world this weekend for @icanonlyimaginemovie sharing how ‘the princess bride shaped my childhood — God bless you and your family””
“Chicken Sisters” star Genevieve Angelson shared an Instagram Story with a white background that simply said, “I love you Rob Reiner ❤️”
“A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” star Sharon Lawrence shared two news stories about the Reiners in her Instagram Stories, placing three broken heart emoji over one and captioning the other, “Been sending Rob and Michele my appreciation admiration and appreciation and sincere condolences to their family. 🙏”
